September 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
411
I Crumbs Cfrom the King’s 13able | By the Editor ->— ««««„J;
Spiritual Life f HE ability to exercise the functions of the soul in a proper way constitutes the spiritual life. Every Christian has received this life; he can never lose it for God never forsakes His own work. Properly speaking, all Christians are spir itual people. But the possession of spiritual life is not quite the same thing as living a spiritual life. The Bible repeatedly warns those who have received this spiritual life against the dan ger of walking after the flesh. This new life is some times under the influence of the carnal mind. Also there are many spiritual diseases that will fasten themselves like parasites upon the new life that weaken the capability of the renewed soul to exercise its proper function. Spiritual life, as such, is never lost. Spiritual apprehension and spiritual mindedness are easily lost. When we say that there is a need of greater emphasis of spiritual life we do not refer to the need of an analysis of this life itself. We refer to the need of more realization of this life, both as to our subjective consciousness of it and the actual revelation of that life in our Christian conduct. Beware of the intellectual type of Christianity. The in tellect is a powerful means of knowing God and a leading up to a real, healthy spiritual life, but nothing will do more mischief to one’s spiritual life than relying upon the intel lect. None are more vain, conceited and pleased with them selves than the Christians who think that knowing a few things is of principal importance. It is usually through the intellect that the devil does most of his mischief, and he does it also among Christian people. O f course I do not wish to detract one iota from the importance of the intel lect in relation to Christianity in general and to true spirit ual life in particular, but I mean to say that Christianity is more than a fine theory, and real spiritual life is infin itely more than clear, intellectual conceptions of the doc trines of salvation. Even the most orthodox type of Christianity is not to be confused with genuine spirituality. I fear that ortho doxy makes many of our people an easy prey of the devil, for not a few boast of their orthodoxy while their lives show very little, if any, of “ a faith which worketh by love,” and humble devotion to the cause of Christ. Intellect may be properly called the starting point of genuine spiritual life, .but it must never be considered to be its completion. God grant that we may become more intel- ligent with respect to “ the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” but let us never think that a highly intel ligent Christian is also of necessity a truly spiritual Chris tian, for when the intellect is strongly developed without being placed under the proper control of a humble faith, it will at best be a counterfeit of spirituality. It never is that spiritual mindedness which is “ life and peace.” Beware also of the experimental type of Christianity. I fear that much of so-called experiences and feelings are merely imaginations run wild. Nothing looks so much like
spiritual life as does much of this experimental type of Christianity, while in reality nothing is so little like it. It is pretended and not real at all; and much of it is the result of a religiously unbalanced mind. God does not want us to be unreasonably spiritual. We have a “ rea sonable service,” says Paul, and we should remember that true spiritual life manifests itself in humbly serving God, serving Him not necessarily in an unusual way, but serving Him in quietude in our own place in the common walks of life. God put us in the world, not to live a worldly life, but to live a true spiritual life in the midst of a “ crooked and perverse nation.” It is more to the honor of a Christian soldier by faith to overcome the world than by a monas- tical vow to retreat from it, and more to the honor of Christ “ to serve Him in a city than in a cell.” We shall never have a robust, strong, joyful, spiritual life till we get- out of this artificial, unnatural piety, and out of the narrow considerations of man-made spirituality. To be sure, there is a place for solitariness in the true spiritual life, but as Christ did not pray to His Father to have His people taken out of the world but to keep them from the evil one, so we must pray that by His grace we may live a spiritual life while performing common duties. What we need, in order to be more spiritual, is a firm grasp by faith upon the things eternal, and a clear view of their glorious reality and unlimited value. If we seek that, .we shall obtain it; and having that, we can face the world and take our part in everyday life without the danger of being defiled thereby. There is another type of Christianity of which we should beware. Under the motto o f “ Practical Christian ity,” and similar terms, we are confronted with a form of unspiritual and often unchristian Christianity which is playing havoc everywhere. Doing this and that and the other thing is considered to be genuine Christianity and consequently the highest type of spiritual life. People are wearing themselves out nowadays to do certain things which they themselves or others claim to be “ of utmost religious importance,” but which in reality have nothing at all to do with their specific duties as Christians, or which are at the most only some little fruit of Christian love. All that any Christian can ever do cannot take the place of that whole-hearted devotion to God which makes us an entire and living sacrifice for Him. Spiritual life is not merely the doing of a thing, but it is the attitude of the soul toward God which prompts the doing. The action type of Christianity is often full of self-righteousness. It is trying to make a compromise between God and the sin ful heart, and would satisfy the justice of God by a few small actions which it considers of great value while the Lord said, “ When ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you, say, W e are unprofitable servants', we have done that which was our duty to do.” To live spir itually is to exercise all the functions of the soul, both out wardly and inwardly, toward God and in fellowship with Him.
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